Am I (and JvanE) the only one who flies this way and experiences this problem?
Nope, I only fly stick and rudder (and mostly military so not much info really). No flight plan, no VOR, no whatever.
Maybe notes (or a map with names and features) would add some, but without them I manage anyway.
It's a great lesson in geography and let me tell you my knowledge of the country has improved much, and I knew the southwest pretty well already.
Finding LV at night taking off from LA was tough at first, you just guess the heading and fly, then by feel. During the day, just keep your markers (freeways, towns, dry lakes, etc.. in check), super easy really.
Nowadays I "cheat" I use the HUD button, which gives me airports codes and names, and mileage. Still not much of an aid, you still need to memorize what is where, but it gives you a much better placement.
There are many places in the southwest where I can be dropped blind in the desert and I pretty much know where I am.
Now NY, not so much, I still get lost a lot because I don't know where towns are on the map. So I fly, try to find something, find it or not, then when I exit I check with google maps and refine the experience. After a while you just can fly from pretty much anywhere to anywhere, you recognize mountains, valleys, towns, roads, rivers, lakes, etc...
And that's the super fun scenery of FS2, so much to see and discover.
Like today's flight: take off from Sedona (super special air force base, the Sedona Airport Vortex brings me happiness
), 2 hour flight below 200 ft in canyons and what not (to avoid radar detection, complete EM silence too, but for that I have no choice, it comes that way (no radar, no weapons)), corner speed (for maneuverability and stealth) all the way south for a simulated bombing run somewhere around Gila Bend (I won't name the target here, pick anything, use your imagination). Pop up for simulated bombing run (thus I presume interceptors sent after me), so quick diversion, drop back on the deck, evasive run and back to Lake Havasu for landing (again all below 200 some feet AGL including landing approach (you fly the airport, don't know the runway direction, find out visually, initiate a turn, drop everything and put it down, heavy wind, turbulence, thermals, lots of clouds, all there). Yeehaa! It's a hell of a run 500 kt 200 ft and below between terrain features and fun fun fun.
No map, nothing, just a good idea of headings, and geo feature to use for the run, and at less than 200 ft it's hard to get your bearings as your horizon is pretty close, on purpose. It's tough but it's what makes it fun.
I wish I had fuel implemented as well as some adversary AI, or online, or collaborative possibilities (wingman, RIO), but hey it is what it is, so imagination makes the play.
Here I'll give you a fun waypoint on the way: https://www.google.com/maps/di…9629,11802m/data=!3m1!1e3